Devil’s Nightmare
Devil’s Nightmare Series
Book One
Robert Pruneda
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Forsaken Imprint
Booktrope Publishing
Date of Publication: July 15, 2015
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo
Book Description:
Veteran homicide detective Aaron Sanders thought he’d seen it all, but nothing could have prepared the seasoned detective for the mutilated remains of a kid’s parents or the equally vicious deaths of three boys at another crime scene.
As Aaron works to solve the cases and protect his only witness, an orphaned child, he learns of an ancient curse that leaves him questioning all he’s ever believed. Now, to save himself and the child, Aaron must confront his own inner demons, and some he never knew existed. But if he does, will he make it out alive?
Devil’s Nightmare is an occult suspense horror novel by Robert Pruneda, who shakes readers with his visually graphic scenes, supernatural twists, and disturbing settings in this first installment of the Devil’s Nightmare series.
Excerpt:
Cody’s lungs burned with each frenetic breath as he made his
escape toward the gated entrance of the old cemetery. He ran past rows of
tombstones and lost his footing several times, whimpering in fear as he picked
himself up. His blood curdled from a distant scream. A loud explosion of
thunder startled him as he checked over his shoulder and slipped, collapsing
onto the wet, muddy ground. He pushed himself backward, his hands frantically
splashing in puddles of muddied water. The darkness of the cemetery made it
impossible to see anything more than a shadow, but Cody knew what stalked him.
He knew the evil coming.
He screamed and jumped back to his feet. He ran as fast as
he could on the slippery ground. Another loud crash of thunder followed a
bright flash of lightning. He was so close, so close to the entrance to the
cemetery, but the rain, stronger than before, hammered down upon him. He
splashed through puddles of water, flinching from the sheets of rain slapping
his face. He struggled to increase his speed, his tears blending in with the
rain. Four bicycles lay scattered on the ground near the entrance of the
cemetery. Cody yanked his bicycle upright off the ground and checked behind
him, but there wasn’t anything there. He hesitated, his heart breaking at the
sight of his friends’ bikes lying next to his.
“I’m so sorry,” he cried before mounting his own bike.
The mud, caked onto the soles of his shoes, caused his feet
to slip on the wet pedals. He peered into the dark depths of the cemetery again
and found the familiar shadow creeping towards him. Whimpering again, Cody
reached down to scrape the mud off with his bare hands, and then pedaled a mile
to his home in the heavy rain.
Rain-drenched, Cody jumped the curb in front of his house
and dropped his bicycle on the lawn. He ran to his open bedroom window,
stumbled through it, and fell onto the floor. His bedroom curtains flapped
inward as rain splashed onto the hardwood floor. Picture frames on the walls
rattled as Cody grabbed his bedroom window and pulled down on it several times
until it slammed shut. He dropped to the floor and wept below the window with
his head lowered and arms wrapped around his legs, tucking them close to his
chest.
Cody lifted his head when the bedroom light came on. Two
adults stood in the doorway. His mother rushed inside the room while his
stepfather Tony placed a hand on the door frame, his jaw clenched and eyes
narrowed.
“What in hell’s wrong with ya, boy?” Tony said in a deep
southern drawl. His eyes dropped to Cody’s wet shoes and the muddied floor.
“And why in hell ya soakin’ wet? Goddamn it, boy, ya sneaked out again, didn’t
ya? And where in the hell is—?”
“What’s wrong, honey?” Cody’s mother broke in, noticing her
son trembling. “Are you—?”
“He’s in deep shit, that’s what! Told ya we couldn’t trust
this little bastard.” Tony pointed a stern finger at Cody and warned, “Ya pull
this shit again and I’m gonna bust yer ass! Now get yer ass up and—”
The lights flickered and went dark.
“Goddammit!” Cody’s stepfather yelled. “Piece a shit
electricity always goes out when it rains.” He grabbed his wife’s arm. “Carol,
get me the goddamn flashlight. And a mop so this little shit can clean up his
mess.”
A flash of bright light shot through the curtains as Carol
stepped towards the hallway. Cody’s eyes grew wide. He scooted backwards,
mumbling and whimpering.
“What in hell’s yer problem?” Tony said.
Cody’s face whitened. Tears flowed from his eyes. He whimpered
“No” repeatedly as he scooted further away, only to find himself trapped in a
corner of the dark bedroom.
Heavy rain poured outside as a web of lightning scattered
across the sky. Intense thunder muffled the screams and breaking glass. A
moment later, all was quiet. The rain stopped, the lightning dissipated, and
the thunder grew faint in the distance.
About the Author:
Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is a native Texan, video game “enthusiast” [addict], and fan of all things horror. He left a career in the newspaper industry in 2011 to pursue the life of a nocturnal author, brainstorming new and creative ways to creep out his readers. He doesn’t only write horror though.
He also pens the occasional family-oriented tale just to keep from going completely nuts with all those creatures of the night whispering in his ears. When he’s not pulling ideas out of his twisted brain, you’ll likely find him on social media or fighting alongside his fellow gaming buddies where they all get shot up into Swiss cheese (or turned into little bite-sized chunks because of “Sharky’s” obsession with explosives). Medic!
Pursue your dreams . . . and never look back.
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1 comment:
Thank you for featuring Devil's Nightmare during my Bewitching Blog Tour.
Cheers!
Sharky
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